Rail car structure



Jan. 10, 193 9.

A. G. DEAN 2,143,547

RAIL CAR STRUCTURE ori inal Fi l ed Sept. 18, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheetl k h ha l INVENTOR.

ALBERT GDEAN Jan. 110, 3%39.

A. G. DEAN RAIL CAR STRUCTURE Original Filed Sepia. 4 s t sh t 2 INVENTOR.

ALBERT CI. DEAN:

ATTORNEY;

Jam W, 139.

G. DEAN RAIL CAR STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Sept. 18,1935 .INVENTOR.

ALBERT G. DEAN- BY ATTORNEY.

Jan. W 1939. A. G. DEAN RAIL CAR STRUCTURE Original Filed Sept. 18, 19554 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

ALBERT G. DEAN A TTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL CAR STRUCTUREAlbert G. Dean, Narberth, Pa., assignor to Edward G. Budd ManufacturingCompany, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationSeptember 18, 1935, Serial No. 41,031

Renewed November 8, 1937 15 Claims. (Cl. 105-1397) This invention has todo with rail car construcextending hold for the auxiliary equipment,aftion of the light weight order such as is now fording longitudinallyextending space free of being very commonly used by the railroads inobstruction by strength afiording frameworks, connection with the lightweight streamline high and arrange for accessibility to this holdthrough 5 speed Diesel powered economically operated ara longitudinallyextending series of hatchways 5 ticulated trains. These trains are beingconin the bottom of the hold rather than through structed today eitherof alloy steel or aluminum the floor which is it top. This hold Isuspend and considerable numbers are being constructed from the strengthaffording framework of the of high tensile stainless steel which ispre-cold car by members generally free from strength afworked to giveextremely high strength values. fording function in connection with themain Such structures have given rise to many new body. Thus theequipment is freely accessible problems connected with the attainingmaximum throughout the length or the car. Thus the t t With mum weight,t Obtaining f hold may be given any desired configuration for lightWeight P B and u l y equipmeniifind streamlining Without reference tothe strength the light W t pp from and housing Within affordingframework of the car, yet it is of itself the streamline form of thestructure of the equipa permanent Structure quite 50 permanent as mentThis invention ha particularly to d the bottom of a ship. Thus neitherneed the with the solution of the problem of disposition, equipment hemodified or handicapped in fumesupport n hOuSing of h auxiliaryequipment. tion in order to locate it for there is abundant 20 In railcar construction heretofore two orders openispace Thus damage t trengthafiording 0 of development afiecting the auxiliary equip frameworksincident to attachment of equipment have been Predominant Accqrding (methe or erroneous alteration to accommodate equiptransvel'se orlongitudinal frameworks x ment is avoided. And thus the under side ofthe of them m respectively afford principal flooring per se of the carand the framework of transverse strength and principal longitudinal thehold provide ready accessible anchoring and strength to the car, havebeen free y ed securing means for the equipment without the in diverseways below the floor level irrespective y of resort directly to Strengthof the problem of providing Space for auxiliary fording framework of thecar; In brief through equipment below the floor level and the altxmarythis separate hold of free space for the auxiliary equipment has beenfitted best mlght t3 equipment, the thoroughness and emciency of its 1 Zg i if P zfi g f accommodation in these light weight structures 22 3' si i f 22 22 d g becomes coordinate with the thoroughness and y a e g e mor er efiiciency of the provision of strength affording the space. Thedominant extended strength afr, fording frameworks are covered bystreamlining i ffggi g g g mam body framework Instead sheathing.According to the other order of de- In the accompanying drawings I Showthat velopment the strength affording main body framework structureswere not extended dom form of mventlon new best known to me but inantlybelow the floor level to such extents as Very obvlously there must beothers 40 materially to interfere with the accommodation the drawmgsfl iof auxiliary equipment, and thereafter an under figure 1 15 an almostwhole transverse cross cover or streamline sheathing is laid over theSectlon of the lower part of the m1] car body installed equipment. Insome cases this is a mere Figure 215 a floor plan of the Strengthaffording dust cover and not a streamline. Various admixframework of the5 tures of these rders of develgpment have of Figure 3 is a verticalelevation of the framework course occurred. of one side of the carlooking at it from the in- My invention gives rise to a new orde of dside of the car by means of a section taken on velopment, a developmentin which space for the line of 2 This Clearly ShOWS he rameauxiliaryequipment, light weight yet strong work of the hold for auxiliaryequipment below mounting therefor, and streamline housing are e or le 50put on'a parity of consideration with general Figure 4 is a view of thebottom of the car streamlining and covering on the one hand, and showingthe bottom of the hold and its hatchways. main strength affordingframeworks for the car One is looking upward substantially in the dionthe other. I attain this object by providing rection of the arrows 4-4applied to Fig. 3.

below the floor level of the car a longitudinally Figure 5 is anenlarged perspective of one of plan view from the inside of certain ofthe hatchways and hatch doors. I

Figure 10 is a transverse cross section of one of these hatchways andits door taken on line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9.

Figure 11 is a longitudinal door.

Figure 12 is a similar hatch door.

Figure 13 is an enlarged section of adjoining ends of the doors of Figs.11 and 12, such section being taken substantially on line i3|3 of Fig.9.

The main body strength affording frameworks of the car are designatedrespectively, the transverse framework A and the longitudinal frameworkB, while the hold for auxiliary equipment which I provide is designatedgenerally C. In this connection reference may be had particularly toFigs. 1 and 3.

The transversely extending framework of the car, A, is embodiedprincipally in relatively shallow transversely extending floor beams 20of which there are provided a'great number as clearly appears in Figs. 2and 3. These beams 2@, as can be seen most clearly in Figs. 5, 6 and 7,are of box cross section. Their caps or chords are comprised of throughrunning strips 2! reinforced by channels 22. Their webs are comprised ofvertically corrugated sheet stock 23. The whole is electrically spotwelded together in the regions where the several parts 2I 2223 overlapeach other. Such beams from six to twelve inches deep and from one tothree inches thick provide an extremely great transverse strength. Byreason of their construction, however, and a uniform cross section fromend to end, they are relatively shallow as respects the general depth ofthe bottom portion of the car as shown in Fig. 1 and do not project agreat distance below the level of the flooring 24.

The floor 24 is supported from these floor beams 20 by means of atransverse series of longitudinally extending floor stringers 25 ofinverted channel form. These stringers are integrally continuous fromone end of the car to the other. They are spot welded by their flanges26 down upon the caps 2! of the beams 20. They are spot welded to theirtops in turn through running strips 21 to which again in turn theflooring 24 is spot welded. The flooring 24 is formed of trans verselycorrugated metal sheet. The transverse strength affording structurecomprised of beams 28 is longitudinally spaced apart and longitudinallybound together not only by these floor stringers 25 but also by thecentral draft and bumper structure 2829. This structure comprises twoupper and two lower wide throughrunning relatively heavy gauged strips30 whose main bodies are spot welded down upon the caps 2! of the beamsand spot welded to each other through the outturned lapped flanges 3| oftheir adjacent edges. To their juxtaposed margins are welded anglestrips 32 the ends of which abut the section of a hatch section of anadjacent chord members 22 of the beams 20. The inwardly disposed freebranches of the angle cross sections of members 32 are vertically joinedtogether by a thin gauged corrugated sheathing 33. Through-runningchannel members 34 laid on their sides support the flooring 24 from theupper members 3G. These channels are welded by one branch to the outermargins of the members 3!) in the same region as are the angles 32 andby the other branch are welded to the flooring 24. Flanged channels 35are welded by their flanges to the lower members 30, the outermostflange being welded in the same region as the angles 32. Athrough-running plate 36 bridges these through-running channels and iswelded thereto through the intermediary of the flange strips 37 whichare welded to the bottoms of the channels 35 before these channels arewelded down upon the members 36.

The through-running character of this member 2829 can be clearly seen inFig. 2. However, this member does not ailord substantial longitudinalstrength. It is prevented from doing so by the employment of such thingauged stock for the side walls 33 as to preclude this stock from givingadequate web strength to the structure 2829, such web strength as tomake it behave as a beam. Moreover, the interruption of the connections33 at their transverse beam 20 destroys their continuity entirely.Nevertheless, the various angle channel and box cross sections affordedby the structure 28-29 have a very high compressive strength to resistbumping strains and needless to say, the tensile strength of thethrough-running structure under draft strains is very great. These draftand bumping strains are shared by the structure 28--29, with the floorstringers 25, up to and including that floor stringer 25 on each side ofthe center which immediately adjoins the stair well 38. See Fig. 2.These strains are transmitted directly to members 25, 28 and 29 from thedraft connections 3939 at the opposite ends of the car. While thesemembers do not substantially enter into the longitudinal load supportingstructure of the car, they do tie together and transmit loads to thetransverse load supporting structure comprised of the beams 20.

The longitudinal strength aifording structures B is comprisedprincipally of the side trusses 4| which lie substantially in the planesof the opposite side walls of the car and the principal portion of whichlies below the belt line 42. The structure above the belt linecomprising the trussing 43 between the windows, top rail 44, and theroof of the car and the sheathing (not shown) enters subordinately intolongitudinal load supporting relation. Outstandingly, however, the lowertrusses 4! comprised of the bottom sill members 45, the belt linemembers 42, the vertically extending posts 46, and the diagonals d7constitute this principal longitudinal strength aifording framework. Thedetailed construction is generally well understood and inasmuch as itdoes not enter into this invention except as subsequently described, itneed not be repeated here.

This longitudinally extending load supporting structure is joined to thetransversely extending load supporting structure comprised of beams 20by the joints shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 and appearing in Fig. 1 withinthe circle designated 5. The posts 46 are of outwardly flanged channelcross section. The caps 2! of the transverse beams 29 are interruptedshort of their ends. The angles 22 and the webs 23 however are notinterrupted. instead they are both extended.- to outwardly lap the sidewalls of channels 46 at the lower ends of the carlines and are in thisoverlapped region generally spot welded throughout the overlapped regionto these side walls. Through-running gusset members 49 welded on theinside of the car fast to the channel bottom, through running marginalfloor stringersv 50 of channel section welded to the gussets 49 by thechannel bottoms, and also by one side wall to the caps 25 or the floorbeams 20, augment the very great strength of this nested, lapped andwelded joint; Both the members 49 and 50 become with the mouldingchannel 5| and other parts in this region, such forexample, as gusset'52, lower moulding 53 and corrugated paneling 54 a part of thethrough-running construction of the lower chord i5 of the truss 4!. Thusis substantially entire prbvisioh made on the one hand by theorganization of transverse beams 2!] for the transverse load suppbrtingand strength affording structure of the car and on the other, by thethrong -running side trusses 4| for the longitudinal load carrying andstrength affording structure of the main body.

Now substantially entirely independent of these transverse andlongitudinal strength affording structures designated in the firstinstance A and B, I construct the hold C. I but substantially suspendthe hold structure from these two strength afiording structures of themain body. Suspension is by means of vertical stay'sts and56. Stays 55are of longitudinally presenting channel cross. section and connected attheir upper ends by welding of their side walls interiorly oi thechannel cross section of certain of the floor stringers 25 and at theirlower ends similarly with the ob-verted channel cross section of thethrough-running hatchway sill 51 of the hold framework. The stringers 25to which the suspension stays 55 are connected are not of theconventional channel section of the remaining stringers 25 but insteadare given a channel form by constituting them of angles 58-59 welded byone branch together and by the remaining branches respectively by one tothe caps 2| of the beams 23 and by the other to the floor plates 2?.There are two longitudinal series of stays 55 so connected, each ofwhich extends longitudinally of the car from truck to truck as clearlyappears in Fig. 3. The stays themselves in each series are arranged inpairs one on each side of each beam 20. Appropriate gussets may be usedas desired as indicated in Fig. 3, the better to effect and the greaterto strengthen the end connections. The stays 56 on the other hand areconnected by their upper ends to the longitudinally extending strengthafiording structure B the connection being through the same joint bywhich transverse structure A is connected with longitudinal structure Bas shown in Fig. 5. Stays 56 are of channel section presenting outwardlyand bottom and side walls of the channel are nested over the outside ofthe channel walls of the posts 6 and between these walls and theoverlapped parts 48 of the beams as clearly appears in Figs. 6 and 7.They may be welded together by one and the same welding operation. Theside walls of stays 56 are flanged, the side walls of the hatchway sill5? are flanged, and the lower ends of the stays are connected to thesills 5? by welding together the flanges as clearly appears in Fig. 1.There are as many stays 55 substantially as there are posts in thabportion of the structure B which is flanked by the hold 9, Thus we havetwo longitudinal series of stays 56. The stays of the series 56 arebowed outwardly, the more effectively to resist external darnage and toafford more efficient streamline form. They enter into an approximatelytriangular bracing relation to the stays 55 and constitute the frameworkof the hold comprised of them together with the hatchway sills 51 astructure transversely very rigidand strong. Yet it does not partake ofany of the load of the main car frameworks A and B nor does it partakeof their characteristics except that in the region of the step well 38as shown in Figs. 3 and 8, I use stringers 2's" and "hatchway sills 51to help bridge the stair well gap. This I do by interrupting thecontinuity of the stays 55 in. this region and providing diagonals 58 toform a trussing between stringer and sill 51. In such side door carsthis may constitute a part of a torsion beam structure the details ofwhich need not enter here. The stays 55 which are interrupted are joinedto the side walls of the bottom to bottom channels of which thediagonals 58 are comprised as clearly appears in Fig. 8. Angle strips 59tie them all to the bottoms of beams 20.

The hatchways may be constituted by the longitudinally extendingthrough-running hatchway sill members alone or by them in combinationwith certain transverse members which may be 3 provided, as for example,as suggested at the points 55 in Fig. 4. But I prefer not to use thesetransverse members 55. The hatchways are closed by a longitudinalseriesof transversely applied hatch doors or covers 6!. These doors aresupported by their opposite side margins in longitudinally extendingchannels 62 and 63 of differential depth, the channel 53 being deeperthan the channel 62. The width of the door is less than the distancebetween the bottom of the deeper channel 53 andthe mouth of the shallowchannel 52. Thereby the door may be entered and removed by first movingthe side in the deeper channel 53 to the bottom of the channel and thenmoving the opposite side upwardly and into the mouth of the shallowchannel 62. The doors so applied are retainedin place by laterallyextending spring plungers 5'4 permanently urged laterally outwardlyagainst the bottom of channel 63 by means of an engaging spring 55 alsore-actively engaged within the confining clip or brackets 56 welded tothe side of frame members 6'! of the door.

Doors iii are alternately provided with difierent widths of abutting endmargins 68 and alternately with different lengths of overlapping endflanges 69 as clearly appears in the alternate doors illustrated inFigs. 11 and 12 in longitudinal section of two adjacent doorspand Fig.13 a longitudinal section of two such adjacent doors as overlap. A shortmargin 58 is provided with a long overlapping flange 59 whereas the longmargin (-38 is provided with a short flange 69 the short flangeterminating inwardly of the edge of the margin whereby the edge of themargin may be overlapped by the long flange 59 and the flanges 59 mayabut. Through this abutting of the flanges 69 the edges ill of themargins are prevented from following each other and yet the longoverlapped flange 69 efiectually seals the joint between them.

The manner in which the structure described attains the advantages Ihave outlined to be my aim is believedto be so fully apparent as not tonecessitate additional recital of the advantages themselves. Sufiice itto say that they are each and all attained through the employment ofthis hold as suspended from the main strength affording framework. It isemphasized that through this system of suspension by longitudinal seriesof stays themselves substantially free from load carrying function, theauxiliary equipment cannot interfere with the main load carryingstructures of the car on the one hand nor can the main load carryingstructures interfere with the auxiliary equipment. The space encompassedby the longitudinal series of stays is free of obstructing frameworks ofany kind from truck to truck of the car, from end to end of the hold.Through the elimination of cross connections such as 60 except at theextremities of the hold, when the hatch doors are removed, one may standin a work pit over which the car is run and walk standing from end toend of the hold thereby reaching freely to each and all elements of theauxiliary equipment.

The spaces H and 12 in Fig. 4 are reserved for panels or hatch covers ofespecial order, such for example, as screens for air conditioningequipment. Cross members 6D may or may not be used at such specialpoints but are preferably not so used.

The circumstantial terminology which is utilized in the foregoingdescription and the annexed claims is an outgrowth of my present bestefforts to describe the form of my invention which I have illustrated,the best embodiment now known to me. The generic spirit of my inventionshould give the interpretation of the annexed claims rather than theimmediate import of this terminology, for there is no doubt but what myinvention is susceptible of much modification without departing from itsgeneric spirit.

What I claim is:-

1. A rail car construction comprising a main body strength frameworkincluding a transverse strength system including transversely extendingfloor beams interconnected by longitudinal floor stringers, and alongitudinally extending strength framework, together with a hold forauxiliary equipment suspended below the floor beams by means oftransversely triangulated longitudinally extending series of suspensionstays the outer of which is connected at its upper ends with the lowerends of the carlines and the inner of which is connected at its upperends with the floor stringers, the triangulated series of stays onopposite sides of the body being widely spaced apart and forming betweenthem a downwardly open space to receive auxiliary equipment.

2. A rail car construction comprising a main body framework includingrelatively shallow transversely extending floor beams affordingprincipal transverse strength to the car, a longitudinally extendingframework connected with the beams embodying vertically extending postsand affording principal longitudinal strength for the car, and a holdstructure for auxiliary equipment beneath the floor beams, which holdstructure is suspended from the said strength affording frameworks bysuspension stays, the upper ends of said stays, said posts and the outerends of said transverse floor beams being nested and secured together.

3. A rail car structure according to claim 2 in which the posts and thesuspension stays are of outwardly presenting channel cross sectionnested together as channels and the floor beam embodies two. verticalextending side wall members which respectively exteriorly flank the sidewalls of the aforesaid channel cross sections.

4. A rail car construction having a floor structure including transversefloor beams and longitudinally extending angular cross section floorstringers secured to said beams, together with a hold for auxiliaryequipment suspended below the floor structure, said suspension being inpart by vertical members welded at their upper ends to vertical branchesof the stringers, the suspension members being in laterally spacedrelation thereby leaving an unobstructed downwardly open space betweenthem for the reception of auxiliary equipment.

5. A railway car comprising a main body strength framework includingtransverse floor beams and a main longitudinal framing charac terized bythe provision of a sheathed in hold for auxiliary equipment beneath thefloor beams, means to support said hold from said beams, hatchways inthe bottom of the hold and means to suspend the hold from the main bodyframework of the car including spaced longitudinally extending series ofsuspension stays individu ally transversely braced, said staysencompassing longitudinal hold space throughout the length and breadthof main body strength framework and providing between the stays adownwardly open space substantially free of obstructing framework.

6. A railway car comprising a transverse floor structure and a mainlongitudinal framing, a longitudinally extending sheathed in hold forauxiliary equipment beneath the floor structure, hatchways in the bottomof the hold, means to support said hold from said fioor structureincluding two transversely spaced longitudinally extending series ofvertical suspension stays anchored to the floor structure and projectingdownwardly, longitudinally continuous hatchway sills connected with thelower ends of the stays, and a longitudinally extending series of hatchcovers supported from said sills.

7. A rail car construction comprising a transversely extending floorstructure and main longitudinally extending framing together providingthe principal transverse and longitudinal strength structure of the car,and a sheathed in hold for auxiliary equipment located below the floorstructure extending throughout the width of the car and as a structuresuspended from the main body structure, said hold being provided withlongitudinally extending hatchway sills suspended from said floorstructure by transversely spaced longitudinal series of stays, stairwell structures interrupting the longitudinal strength affordingframework of the car, and diagonals between the floor structure and thehatchway sills in the vicinity of the stair wells, there converting thesuspension stay series into truss girders spanning the stair well.

' 8. A rail car construction comprising a floor structure and mainlongitudinally extending framing together providing the principaltransverse and longitudinal strength structure of the car, and asheathed in hold for auxiliary equipment located below the floorstructure extending throughout the width of the car and as a structuresuspended from the main body structure, said hold being provided withlongitudinally extending hatchway sills suspended from said floorstructure by spaced longitudinal series of stays, stair well structureinterrupting the longitudinal strength affording framework of the car,and diagonals between the floor stringers and the hatchway sills in thevicinity of the stair wells converting the suspension stays series intotruss girders spanning the stair well region, together with means inthis region tying the stays to the floor structure independently of thestringers.

9. A railway car comprising a main body strength framework includingtransverse floor beams and a main longitudinal framing characterized bythe provision of a sheathed in hold for auxiliary equipment beneath thefloor beams, means to support said hold from said floor beams, hatchwaysin the bottom of the hold, the hatchways being provided on theiropposite sides with juxtaposed channel cross section seats for hatchdoors which seats are of difierential depth and hatch doors less inwidth than the distance from the bottom of the deeper channel to themouth of the shallow channel, entered in said channels and retainedtherein by spring pressure exerted between the bottom of the deepchannel and the adjacent side of the hatch door.

10. A railway car comprising a main body strength framework includingtransverse floor beams and a main longitudinal framing characterized bythe provision of a sheathed in hold for auxiliary equipment beneath thefloor beams, means to support said hold from said floor beams, hatchwaysin the bottom of the hold, said hatchways being provided on theiropposite sides with juxtaposed channel cross section seats for hatchdoors which seats are of differential depth, and hatch doors less inwidth than the distance from the bottom of the deeper channel to themouth of the shallow channel, entered in said channels and retainedtherein by spring pressure exerted between the bottom of the deepchannel and the adjacent side of the hatch door, the lower side walls ofthe channels being discontinuous between one longitudinal end of thedoor and another whereby to prevent extended freezing of the door to thechannels.

11. A rail car body including a floor structure, an underframe holdconstruction including downwardly and inwardly extending stays extendingfrom the sides of the floor structure to a position inward and below theunderframe and a plurality of transversely spaced vertical stays securedto the floor construction and to the inward ends of the first mentionedstays, and vertically supporting said stays, the laterally spacedvertical stays forming a hatchway therebetween, sheathing on said firstmentioned stays and closure means secured to the bottom of said hatchwayand supported by said vertical stays.

12. A rail car body including a floor construction, an underframe holdconstruction including downwardly and inwardly extending stays extendingfrom the sides of the floor construction to a position inward and belowthereof, a plurality of vertical, transversely spaced stays secured tothe floor construction and to the inward end of the stays and supportingsaid stays, sheathing on said first mentioned stays, longitudinallyextending hatchway sill means joining the terminal portions of saidinwardly extending stays and vertical stays, said means forming asubstantially continuous opening throughout the length of the car body.

13. A railway car comprising an underframe, a sheathed in hold belowsaid underframe, said hold being suspended by two transversely spacedlongitudinally extending series of vertically disposed suspension stays,which series encompass between them longitudinally extending holdopenings substantially free of strength framework obstruction throughoutits length, and means to close said opening.

14. A rail car construction comprising a main strength frameworkincluding main longitudinal side frames having vertical posts of angularcross section and transverse floor beams interconnecting the posts ofthe opposite side frames, a hold for auxiliary equipment beneath thefloor beams, said hold having lateral walls comprising down- Wardly andinwardly curved stays of angular cross section secured to the bottoms ofsaid posts, said lateral walls terminating at the bottom in widelyspaced relation thereby leaving an unobstructed downwardly open spacebetween them for the reception of auxiliary equipment and outersheathing applied to said stays and secured thereto.

15. A rail car construction according to claim 14 in which the outersheathing is continuous and longitudinally corrugated.

ALBERT G. DEAN.

